The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-05-04
THE TONGA ISLANDS.
4 Revolt in the Southern Pacific
Promptly Avenged.

4 Revolt in the Southern Pacific
Promptly Avenged.
4 steamer which has just arrived at San
Francisco brings the latest particulars re-
garding the attempted assassination Of Prem
ier Baker, of the Tonga Islands, by converted
Wesleyan natives. The correspondent of the
Sydney New South Wales Herald at Suva,
FIJI Islands, writes that Mr.. Baker believed
that an organized attempt to kill him and to
overturn the Government was to be made by
the Wesleyans. He sent for soldiers, and
large number of indiscriminate arrests were
made. Mr.. Baker put the prisoners through
form of trial, condemned them to death,
and the sentences We're executed the same
night. Before the sentences were carried out
the acting British Vice-Consul, ". E. Giles,
used the utmost exertions to prevent the exc
cutionS.
Things were growing quieter when the newly
appointed Vice Consul, R. B. Leefe, arrived
at Tonga. and after an inquiry decided that
he had no power to interfere. The storm
again burst forth with redoubled fury.
The Wesleyan Mission College was in
vaded by an armed mob WesleyanS were
brutaly beaten and their houses wrecked.
Mr.. Leefe was again appealed to, but again
refused to Interfere. Among the earliest
persons arrested and condemned to death was
an ordained Wesleyan minister, David Finan,
man of the highest position and repute
Many persons were under arrest, and six exc
cutionS were to take place the day after the
departure of the steamer which brought the
above news to Suva, and thirty more the day
following.
The French and Germans have sent for
men-ofwar, and urgent representations have
been made to the Governor of the FIJI Islands
to Interfere and deposc either Mr.. Baker or
Mr.. Moulton, u Wesleyan missionary
The Tonga or Friendly Islands form a
group in the Southern Pacific Ocean. They
were discovered in lGf3 and were visited in
lI73-T by Cook, who gave them tho name
of Friendly Islands from the apparently hos
pitable reception he met with from the in
habitants 1t has since been learned that it
was fear alone that prevented the natives
from attacking Cook, many OF the natives
being wild and ferOcious. There are 1S2 ISL
ands, about thirty of which are inhabited,
the population being estimated at from % 600
to 5000. They are divided into three groups,
the Tonga being at the south. The eli
mate is healthy, but humid. Earthquakes
are frequent, but not formidable; hurricanes
are both frequent and destructive The ma
tives cultivates yamS, sweet potatoes and fruits
and little corn is grown. Missionaries in
troduced the cultivation Of oranges. Cocoa
nut oil is the only important article of e1-
port
Nearly all the people are now Christians.
They were visited first by agents of the Lon
don Missionary Society. but in 1927 came
under the care of the Wesleyan Society Of
Great Britain. There are three main mis-
sionary stations and the smaller islands are
intrusted to the supervision of native teachers:
The art of printing has been introduced
and many of the natives can read and write.
4 king rules all the islands. Catholic mis-
SionarieS from France have established them
selves in the southern group of islands and
many Of the natives to that faith.